Slow-acting device



May 26, 1925. 1539323 W. P. NEUBERT ET AL sLow ACTING DEVIG Filed D. 311924 f Fly. Z.

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/ UM AT'roRNEY Patented May 20, lf'.

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WALTER 1D. NEUBERT'AND 'WILLIAM E. SLVE'I'H, OF ITTSBURGI, PENNSYVANIA,

ASSGNORS TO THE UNION SVTITCH SIGNAL COMPANY, 01'? SVISSVAE, -'ENN-SYLVANIA, A COREORATION OF BENNSYLVANIA.

SLO'W-ACTING DEVICE.

Application filed December 31, 1924. Serial No. 759,217.

To aZZ 'zo/tom it may ooncern:

Be it known that we, TWALTER P. Nnunnr and VILLIAM E. SMrri-I, citizensof the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of lleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulmprovements in Slow-Acting Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to slow acting devices, and particularly todevices of this tyae which depend for their action on the flow of afluid through a rest-ricted orilice. Devices embodying our invention arewell adapted for use in connection with railway traffic governingapparatus, although they are not limited to this particular field.

VVe will describe oneform of slow acting device embodying our invention,and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a view showing, in verticalsection, one form of slow acting device embodying our invention. Fig. 2is a sectional view along' the line IT- IT of Fig. l'illustrating thestructure of the valve member 28 and associated parts' Fig. 3 is abottom'view of the slow acting device illustrated in Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in both views. theform here shown comprises a hollow .teferring first to Fig. 1, thedevice in cylindrical member l, the lower rini of which is threaded toreceive a plug 20. The eylindrical member 1 and 'the plug 20 constitutean outer fiuid container which we will designate in general by thereference character 0.' Lo-cated inside of this container is a hollowcylindrieal member L1 mounted on` plug 20, and comprising with this pluga second or inner fiuid container which we will designate collectivelyas J. The upper end of member 4 is open and is located below the top ofthe outer container. Henee it follows that the two fluid containerscon'imunicate with each other at the top, the opening between the twobeing of considerable area.

Located within the inner container J is a hollow cylindical plunger 5 towhich is attached a rod 6 extending upwardly and coacting with theapparatus to be controlled by the device. The plunger is of such size asto be movable in the container J with a small amount of clearance. Theinner and outer containers are filled to about the level indicated witha fluid 7 having sufiicient specific gravity to float the plunger; thisfluid is preferably mercury.

The plug 20 is provided with a tapered valve seat 22 containing a frustoconical valve member' 23. To insure a fluid-tight joint, valve member 28is preferably ground into the seat 22. Valve member 23 is constantlyurged against the valve seat by a spring 26, the tension of which isadjusted by a gland 27 threaded into the plug 20 and having a holethrough which the stem 23a of the valve projects. The valve member 23 isprovided, at its upper end, with a longitudinal bore 24 communicatingwith the inner container J. The wall of the valve member ,is furtherprovided with a plurality of radially disposed apertures 25 of differentsizes, as best shown in Fg. 2. It will be plain from the drawing thattheinner end ,of each of the apertures 25 opens into bore 2% and istherefore constantly connected with the inner contaner J.

Plug 20 is also provided with a port 21 having` one end opening, throughthe cylindrical member 4, into the outer container O. The other end ofthis port opens into the valve seat 22. The parts are so disposed thatby rotating valve member 23 in its seat any selected one of theapertures 25 may be moved into registration with the. port 21. Thismovement of the valve member 28 may7 be conveniently accomplished bymeans of a handle 28 attached to the stem 23a and provided with apointer 28a arranged to cooperate with indicia 29 on the outside of theplug 20 to show which of the apertures 25 is in registration with theport 21.

It will be apparent that when the plunger 5 is forced downwardly fromthe position in which it is ilhistrated, some of the fiuid in the innercontainer, that is, solne of the fiuid between the plunger and themember 4:, will be driven upwardly and will spill over into the outercontainer O. The downward movement of the plunger is not retarded to anappreciable extent because of the large opening` between the twocontainers at the top of member f. Vhen the downward pressure on plunger5 is removed, the fluid which was lransferred from the inner to theouter container returns through the port 21, one of the apertures 25,and bore 24: of valve member 23, and in so doing raises the plunger toits original position7 that is, to the position in which it is shown :inthe drawing. This return or upward movement is comparatively slow,however, because of the con'iparatively small area of the apertures 25,and of course the time required for the complete return movement of theplunger will vary according to the apel'- ture 25 which registers withportQl.

v twill 'be clear from the foregoing that the time required for theupward movementl of plunger 5 ma:7 beA regulated from outside the deviceby proper 'manipulation of handle 28. I

Although we have herein shown and described only'one form of slowacting` device einbodying our invention, it lis understood that variouschanges and niodifications* may be made therein within the scope of theappended clainis without departing from the spirit .findy scope of ourinvention,

Having I thus described our invention, what we claini, is: I

1. A slow7 acting device, con'ipif'ising outer and inner fluidcontainers, 1a plunger within the inner container, fluid in saidcontainers of sufiicient :specific `2giravity to float said plunger,said containers lcoinmunicating with each other above' the highest levelof the fluid in the outer container, a passage connectingv saidyconftainers below theL lowest a level of the fluid in the outercontainer, a

valve member having:r a plura'lity of: apertures of different si'aes,and means for including' any selected one o`f said apertures in saidpassage. X w i 2. A slow acting device, coi'npris'in'g outer and innerfluid containers, a plunger within the inner eontainer, fluid in saidcontainers of suffi'cient specific gravity to fio'at said plunger, saidcontainers coin'nnmi'cating with each other above the highest level ofthe fluid in the outer coiitainer, a' passage connecting saideoiitainers below the lowest level of the fluid in the outer container,a valve member having aplurality of apertures of different sizes, andmeans operable Vfrom without said outer container for including anyselected one of said apertures in said passage. p v

3. A slow acting device coniprising outer and inner fiuid containers, aplunger within the inner container, fluid in said containers ofsufiicient Yspecific gravity to floa't said plunger, said containerscommunicating with each other above the highest level o'f the fluid inthe outer contain'er, a valve member having a pluralit of apertu'res ofdifferent siYes, and, means for connecting said c(` n`tainers togetherbelow the lowest level of the fluid in the outer container through anyselected one of said apertures.

4;. A slow acting' device comprisingl outer and inner fluid containers,a plunger within the inner container, fluid in said containers ofsuflicient specific gravity to float said plunger, said containerscoim'nunicating with each other above the highest level of the fiuid inthe outer container, a port having one end opening into said outercontainer below the lowest level of the fluid in the container, a valveniember provided with a plurality of apertures of different sizes, andmeans for moving said valve member to predetermined positions to connectthe other end of said port with said inner container through anyselected one of said apertures.

5. A slow acting'device comprising outer and inner fluid containers, aplunger within the inner container, fluid in said contaliners ofsu'ifi'eient specific gravity to float said plunger, said containerscommunica'ting' with each other above the high'es't level of the fluidin the outer container, a port having one end opening into said outercontainer below the lowest level cf the fluid in the container, ava'l've member provided with alplurali'ty of apertures' of differentsizc andl capable of assuining a plurality of positio'ns inl each ofwhich position's the other end of said port is connected with said innercontainer through a different one of said apertures, and niea'n'soutside' of the outer containeiwfer indicating which of said aperturesis co-operatii'ig' with said port,

6, A slow actingdevice comprising Vouter and 'inner fluid4 contain'ers,a plunger within the inner container, fluid in said contaifners ofsufiicient specific gralvity tomfloat said plunger, said con'tainers'communicating with each other above the highest level of the fluid inthe outer contain'ena| valve member having a plurality of apertures forconnecting said containers together below the lowestil'evel of the fluidin said outer con'- tainer through any selected one of said apertures,andJniean's outside of said outer container for indicating which of saidapertures interposed between said containers.

7. A slow' acting device comprising outer and inner fluid containers, aplung'er within the inner container, fluid 'in said contain'ers ofsuflicient specific gravity to float said pl'unger, said containerscommunicati'n'g with each other abovethe highest level of the fluid inthe outer container, a valve member` having a plurality of apertures ofdifferent sizes allcon'stantly connected with said inner contai'ner, andmeans' for connecting a'ny selected' one of said' apertures with saidouter'container below the lowest level ofthe fluid therein. I

S. A slow actingdevice comprisin'g outer and inner fluid containers, aplun'ger within the inner container, fluid in said containers ofsuflicient specific gravity to float said plunger, said containerscommunicating .Valve seat in the-bottom of said inner container, afrnsto-conioal Valve member having a central longitndinal boreconnnnnicat 111g With said inner container and a plnrality of rad'ialapertnres all opening into said bore, means for constantly nrging saidValve member into said valve seat,A a. port having` one end constantlyconnected With said onter container below the lowest level of the fluidin such container, and means for tnrning` said Valve member to connectany selected one of said apertnres with the other end of said port fromoutside 'the onter conta'iner.

9. A slow aoting device oomprising onter and inner finid containers, aplnnger Within the inner eontainer, finid in said oontainers ofsnflicient speeifio gravity to float said plnnger, said containerscommnnicating With each other above the liighest level of the fluid inthe onter container, a port havingI one end opening into said ontercontainer below the lowest level of the flnid in the container, a Valvemember provided With a plnrality of apertnres of different Sizes alleonstantly connected with Said inner container, and manually operablemeans for moving said valve member to bring any selected one of saidapertures into registration With said port.

10. A slow acting device, comprising` onter and inner finid containers,a plnnger Within the inner container, flnid in said containers ofsnfioient specific gravity to fioat said pln1ige-r,said oontainersoomn'innicating` With each other above the hghest level of the flnid inthe onter container, and a passage eonneeting said containers below thelowestlevel of the fluid in the onter container and including anyselected one of a plnrality of apertnres of different sizes.

In testimony whereof We anix onr signatnres.

WALTER P. NEUBERT. WILLIAM E. SlVlITI-l.

